


Our Beautiful Depression

by KuroKiro



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Depression, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Lance (Voltron), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 20:43:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15469668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroKiro/pseuds/KuroKiro
Summary: The summary is currently in work.





	Our Beautiful Depression

In a room full of silence one expects to experience a certain detente, simple quietude. Furthermore, in a classroom there ought to be an atmosphere of concentration. Full attention had to be given, not foolishly divided into multitasking activities. However Lance found it hard to focus on anything that day. His thoughts were elsewhere, everywhere. They seemed to wander, calling attention to things that he rather had not noticed.

The girl sitting next to him, with her long, black hair bound in a topnot, chewing on her gum in a way that could've only been described as aggravating. Not to mention the nonstop tapping of her feet. Also, the guy two seats away was breathing just a tad too loud and the noise of ballpoint pens scratching over paper to bleed out words were starting to become unbearable.

It was ridiculous- his hypersensitivity-, at times childish almost. But Lance couldn't help it, nor change it. Maybe he was just an oversensitive person, ,overreacting' people mocked him or perhaps actually he was a misophonist. It was odd, really. And he never had the headspace, nor the time to think about it. Moreover, what would it change being ,diagnosed' with misophonie? The noises would still bother him all the same.

His thoughts went by, just like time. Only faster, his thoughts were running. To where? Or rather to whom? After class he'd have to go grocery shopping Lance noted. For a friend. Not because said friend had asked or told him to, but because something told him, that it was a great necessity. Lance was proud of his instincts and had great faith in them. He had stayed away for a whole week after all and still couldn't believe that he'd gone through with that. Guilt had been an allegiant companion over the last few days, accompanying his scattering thoughts. Therefore he'd listen to them once more- his instincts.

The ticking of a clock added to his misery, kindling Lance's anger, almost throwing him over the edge of just being vexed. Why would there even be such an outdated excuse of a clock hanging in the classroom of a school, which was perfectly advanced regarding technology and books? Who had the stupidity- Lance made eye contact with the teacher, all of a sudden very aware of his lazy posture. Quickly he repositioned himself, trying to appear as focused as possible, if not at least a little interested. The teacher didn't seem to care about either, having given Lance a fright for nothing. But obviously, why would a teacher care wether their student was attentive? Lance didn't care and settled for not being called out infront of the class.

A little less lax and not as draped over the table as before he yielded to his thoughts, letting them whelm him again. He'd find shelter later, definitely. After everything was done he'd be able to rest and they'd leave him for good. Groceries, library and then visit his friend. Lance had spend last week solely on learning for upcoming exams and one or two days to catch up on all the work that had been building up had to be possible. Yet, his brain provided him with the idea of two days less of learning as being a disastrous concept. Perfect, he himself was a disaster.

He'd manage. Nothing was ever easy, but Lance always found a way to work things out. Only, he was a little exhausted by his tasks, which in hindsight he had burdened upon himself. They were tiring nonetheless and a helping hand wouldn't have been too bad. But nobody offered. His family was ineligible. Not that they wouldn't help him out. The thing he needed the most help with just didn't concern them. There were certain other people available and he planned to confront them some time this week. But whatever the outcome might be, he'd manage.

Time was torturous, holding Lance in captivity, a slave to his seemingly never ending anguish of boredom and pressure. With his full attention on the clock Lance marvelled about having the ability to control time. If only he could speed up time, forwards, backwards. What useful tool such an ability could be. Goodbye to boring classes he'd say and goodbye to embarrassing himself infront of anyone. A tiny smile made it's way onto his lips, a rather unusual innocent one. And then, as his thoughts turned the corner to more downcast ideas, it faded into the droopy facade he'd come to known over the last few months.

If only he could turn back time.

 

********

 

The bell ringing ripped him out of his melancholic state. A heavenly sound, but it's divinity was lost on Lance. Swiftly he packed up his things, quietly apologizing to the gum-smacking girl as he brushed her while putting on his jacket, receiving a bitchy glare in return. Usually he'd give her a cheeky remark, but today was not that day. With his fingers he tried adjusting his turtle neck sweater, pulling the hood of his jacket closer to his neck. The girl gave him another provocative look, popping her gum bubble. A chill ran down Lance's spine and even more discouraged than before he made his way out.

If everything went smooth he'd arrive at his friend's house by six pm. It was four pm now, with noon classes being a pain in the ass as always. And Lance wasn't a fan of his beautiful ass suffering. Running in the corridors was forbidden, thus he was speed-walking down the hallway, hoping to avoid bumping into anyone. Sadly his history lessons were held in a room not even close to the school gate. It was a hassle, really. And then he had to run into Pidge and Hunk. On other days he would have welcomed a nice chat with them, to ease his mind and brighten his mode a little. But today he really didn't feel like it.

"Hey, Lance", Pidge said.

"Yo, buddy", Hunk laughed and lay an arm around his shoulder,"How was history class?"

"Hunk, buddy, what do you think? I had the time of my life, as always", Lance joked,"And you nerds had fun in tech class, I assume?"

"Never!", Pidge exclaimed shocked, pulling a bored face. Hunk gave her a fond look and even Lance smiled a little at that.

"You were busy last week? You even declined Keith's invitation to go out drinking with us. And here I thought you'd definitely go if it were Keith", Hunk grinned and shoved at Lance with his elbow, who almost blushed a little at that.

"No, not even Keith could make me want to leave my beautiful homework at home alone. This marvelous piece of art..", he sighed.

"Which do you mean? The homework or Keith?", Pidge said whimsically. At that Lance turned bright red.

"I bet both", Hunk nodded to himself and asked," Say, are you finally free of that beautys' spell and can hang out with us some time?"

Lance paused. He could probably spare some hours, would actually love to. But now was not the time to talk about making plans. A quick glance at his phone and he'd already spent six minutes chatting with his friends. Now he would probably miss the bus and his line only came every 30 minutes. God, why couldn't he just have a breather? For a second he thought about glaring at Hunk, the arm still slung around his shoulder, preventing him from simply escaping the situation and excusing himself without having to explain much.

"Buddy, I'd love to, really. Just don't have time right now. I really need to go", he emphasized his hurry.

"Oh? Where is it you have to go? Can we come too?", Pidge asked," Or is it a certain someone you don't want us to know about?"

It was meant as a joke, but Lance defended himself on instinct. 'No need to be jealous' or ' I have a wonderful date with homework' should've done the job. But today he couldn't come up with any flirtatious answers quick enough. And at the reaction of both Pidge and Hunk he regretted not trying harder.

"I'm going to Shiro's place. You could come if you like."

Lance felt the change in atmosphere, he always did. Hunk visibly flinched at the mention and slowly removed his arm. Meanwhile Pidge clenched the material of her sweater and as she tried to speak her voice trembled. At that Lance felt uncomfortable, but even more than that it was confusion that bothered him. He didn't understand their behavior, which wasn't new. However, he had yet to have the courage to ask his friends about it.

"Oh.. that's nice. Greet him for us, yea?", Hunk said, avoiding his eyes and awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head.

Lance was stunned, stammering a meek," Sure.. ."

"Weren't you in a hurry?"

"Huh? Yes, yeah- I-I'll be on my way then… ."

Pidge and Hunk nodded and Lance turned around to nearly bolt from the scene. He couldn't contain himself as he finally reached the gate and broke into a run. It must've looked stupid, because he sure as hell felt that way. But Lance felt haunted by this awkward feeling that clung to his skin. He could smell their uneasiness still and it made him feel uneasy. Like a thin layer of dust and Lance had no time to go home to take a shower. 'Pull yourself together', he said to himself. Today seemed to be an awful day after all, no exceptions.

However, the bus driver was a nice man, stopping to wait and open the doors for a heaving Lance, who gave the guy a grateful smile and a breathy 'Thank you'.

 

******** 

 

Even after knocking three times no one opened the door, which was no surprise, really. Thus, with a heavy sigh he rummaged around for the keys to Shiros' apartment. Stepping in to the hallway he wasn't greeted by Shiro, but darkness and a lot of bottles littering the floor. He couldn't identify their contents in the dark, but the smell was telling enough. He'd tend to them later. Making his way to the bedroom the amount of cans and bottles and other trash started piling up and it made him worry. Perhaps staying away for a whole week had been too much after all?Now he was more concerned about Shiro's wellbeing than about the state of the flat and the feeling of guilt made itself at home once again.

Arriving infront of the door to the bedroom, then stopping to listen for any sounds, Lance was a little cowed, not sure what to expect behind the door and not too keen on angering the man. His hand trembled as he knocked before quietly turning the door knob. He halted, scenting the air before entering. This floor was also cluttered, however not with trash but clothes. Each article of clothing smelled of Shiro strongly, an unpleasant scent. For it wasn't the mans' usual one. The venetians were opaque, therefore leaving the figure of Shiro hidden in its obscurity. Yet, it was clear he was wrapped up in his bedding and clutching on to a pillow, his breathing a faint noise in the room. Lance moved to walk closer but then decided to open the venetians instead. The light was blinding and his irises had to adjust to the sudden brightness. Shiro grumbled.

"Good god, Shiro. Did you sleep the whole day?"

The body moved at his voice, pulling the covers over its head. Lance sighed, opening the window and taking a swift breath of fresh air to clear his head. The apartment reeked of alpha in a way that made him feel dizzy. Normally Shiro's scent didn't affect his biology like that, but today he was vulnerable. With a look at the heap of Shiro and bedding he left the room to begin his cleaning mission. The kitchen wasn't that much off a mess and it worried Lance. Because it meant Shiro hadn't eaten much over the week.

Lance glanced at the hallway, deciding to prepare  
a light evening meal for Shiro before concerning himself with all the chaos. So he started the coffee maschine and cracked a few eggs, searching the refrigerator for something else, but not trusting the  
suspicious looking vegetables. He had yet to put away the groceries, so he'd have to do with that. Tomorrow he'd put more effort into the food, promise.

It took him five minutes to set the table and wipe the kitchen counter. Another ten to collect the garbage and cans from the hallway and around the living room to throw it into the dustbin. The bottles were all posed in a neat row to be discarded of at a later time. He'd have to vacuum and mop the floor, also do the laundry and then do- After 20 minutes of tidying the apartment he went back to check on Shiro. Finding the man sitting at the edge of the bed, only in a pair of black boxers.

"Shiro..?", Lance asked as he hesitated to enter the room, choosing to lean against the doorframe instead

Shiro gave no answer, not even acknowledging his presence it seemed. The man stared into the distance, void of any emotion, scent containing that same aroma of misery and bitterness again. Lance tried calling out to him once more. Nothing. He screwed up his courage, moving to kneel infront of Shiro and placed a hand on his knee. Lance tried to make eye contact, but the alphas' eyes were staring at a point unknown to him, awfully blank. It was nothing new to Lance, but it made him feel helpless time and time again. Trying not to let it show in his scent, he instead produced calming pheromones, spreading them around the room.

"I made dinner..", Lance tried coaxing the man, gently stroking over his knee," Won't you come and eat?"

By now he knew there was nothing he could do but to wait until Shiro came back to his senses. There had been several times where Lance had tried anything and had then lost his temper. Soon enough he had understood that Shiro couldn't help it, that him being a supportive friend meant accepting such a behavior and giving him all the help he needed. It would always be awkward and not being able to help would always suck. But no way in hell did Lance ever think about leaving Shiro to deal with it all on his own.

"Shiro, can you hear me?", he crooned, resorting to his omegan traits as a tool to help a little along,"Hey..?"

Carefully, and at first a little hesitant he searched for the alpha's hand, gliding over his knuckles before entwining their fingers. His grasp was faint, but there and he hoped it could make Shiro feel better. Safer. For now Lance tried focusing on his pheromones, not sure wether they were working as a lure or not. By his logic, perhaps the scent of an omega could motivate Shiros' inner alpha to return to a more concious state. Abstracted Lance started humming, only quietly, something his mother had often sung to him as a child. The hold on his hand tightened slightly and Lances' eyes shot up.

"Hey…", Shiro said in a husky voice, as if he hadn't used his vocals in months.

"Hey", Lance smiled, feeling relief wash over him at catching the glint in Shiros' eyes.

He knew the man still needed a few minutes to fully recover and wasn't prepared for the nose getting pressed into his neck all of a sudden. The hands on his shoulders were grasping him uncomfortably firm too. Lance froze for a second, not really scared or anything..just a bit frightened by the novelty. Also, the teeth grazing at his nape weren't appreciated. He prepared for smoothly pushing the alpha off, to then forget the matter all at once. 'Nothing to worry about', he repeated to himself.

" Smells good.."

"Well, duh! You smell like you haven't taken a shower in days and I bet you a hand, that you haven't done the laundry either", with a supple motion Lance slipped out of Shiros' arms and got up on his feet," Well, I've had a few showers over the week aaand I am me. So yeah, I smell divine."

His heart was racing for no good reason. Lance wasn't scared, hadn't been. There was and never would be the need to be afraid of Shiro. And Lance knew that. Back in the doorframe he didn't look back and therefore could only guess what kind of face the alpha had put on. His jokes were lame, surely not enough to lighten up Shiro's mode. Hunk was better at making other people feel good, not to mention Allura. Beautiful Allura with her charming way of getting everybody to feel at ease. Even Keith would probably do a better job at making Shiro more joyous. They did know each other for such a long time after all. And he was just Lance.

But none of them were here. Never. And he kept wondering why.

He left the room, hoping Shiro would decide to put on some clean clothes and seek him out in the kitchen, on his own accord. Or maybe he should take a shower first. Not that the alpha's musk was displeasing, usually at least. But the man's current scent was unpleasently bitter, almost acrid even. With a huff Lance sat down at the table with his own share of dinner, trusting Shiro to show up before everything turned cold. While poking around in his food Lance could hear the shower running.

 

*********

 

,,You were gone…"

Ten minutes into them enjoying their dinner, if one could call it that- enjoyment-, Shiro spoke up, his first real sentence that day. At that Lance intermitted his meal, halting the fork full of fried egg midway to his mouth. He cast a glance at Shiro, now noting the man hadn't eaten most of the contains on his plate. His mood dropped a little at that. Childish as it was, but he felt hurt, thinking that surely his cooking wasn't as great as Hunk's, but it had to be edible at least. He reflected on those words, wanted to give his friend a plausible answer, which didn't make him look like a selfish prick. But Lance was just Lance, and Lance never came up with the right words when it mattered the most.

,,Yeah..", he simply said, wanting to add so much more, but not able to find the right way to express himself.

Shiro stared at his plate and picked at his food as he waited for the boy to explain himself, or so Lance thought. There was actually no reason to apologize or explain himself. He had told Shiro, that maybe, perhaps he wouldn't be able to visit him for some time. Moreover, he had no bargain with his friend , which bound him to come each and every day. After all they were both grown man, and Shiro even more so. Yet, Lance felt responsible for leaving Shiro alone. As if he had left one of his nephews without supervision.

"I...I studied for upcoming exams", he said hesitantly, finally finishing his fork of fried egg," I mean I studied really hard. I told you I could be a little too busy to come over."

Shiro looked up for a short moment, as if he wanted to ask something. As if there were genuine interest. And then it was gone, eyes back glued to that one point Shiro had choosen to stare at. The alpha looked similar to a child, who had been berated by his parents and therefore had the wish to no longer sit at the dinner table with said people. Slumped together and not a single attempt to better its situation. At least, because it didn't know how to. A helpless child.

"Did Keith visit? Or the other guys?", Lance asked and tried to sound cheery. He knew the answer already. Yet, as Shiro didn't answer, which was all Lance needed to know, it was still a hard pill to swallow. Yes, Pidge and Hunk were also busy with studying. And Keith was busy with his current part-time job. But not once did they have the time to show up at their friend's house and see how he's doing? And what about Allura? She wasn't as occupied as everyone else at the moment. While talking with Keith, as the guy had asked him out for drinks with Pidge and Hunk, which Lance had declined with a bitter smile, he had hinted at Keith to pay Shiro a visit. Now knowing, that Mullet Boy hadn't done that, he felt a little fire of rage burn in his belly.

The silence was thick, not the ususal thin layer of almost choking woefullness. And in a matter of seconds it was split by the clashing sound of a bottle leaving it's position to break on the kitchen floor. Lance startled up at the loud noise, halfway jumping out of his chair and knocking his coffee over with the uncontrolled movement. Shiro didn't even flinch, without the bat of an eyelid the sound washed over him and left him unimpressed. Lance grabed at the edge of the table, swallowing a purely omegan noise down before it could escape his shameful mouth.

Lance's heartbeat was audible, even though his breathing was so heavy that it seemed to fill the whole room. Beneath those noises was utter silence, Shiro's unfazed attitude and Lance caught in his shocked stance prolonged that awful quiet. After a minute or so Lance caught himself, taking a deep breath and relaxed his hold on the edge of the table. He wanted to laugh it off, but that had scared him shitless. Nervously he fiddled with his collar. The uneasy feeling wouldn't leave him alone, would probably hunt him till he fell asleep.

"Haha..", he tried chuckling, but the sound caught in his throat and died down,"For a moment I thought I'd die. Gun shots n' all.. . Stupid me."

Something in Shiros' eyes flickered, an emotion and Lance couldn't pinpoint it before it was gone. Usually he was good at that- knowing how other people felt-, but recently his friends's feelings had become an utter mystery. One for which he had neither the time nor the energy to solve. With shaky hands he put the cup, which prior to this moment had been full of hot coffee, back in it's previous place and moved to find a rag to clean up the mess he had made. After that he began collecting the broken fragments of the shattered glass bottle. Rash as he was he cut his finger on one of the shards, hissing as blood dripped to the dusted kitchen floor.

At that moment Lance wanted to cry, felt the tears well up and threaten to run down his cheek. Somehow he felt so terriblely vulnerable today. His nape wouldn't stop tingling either. Lance didn't hate omegas, just their stereotype. But today he fulfilled each and every one of those cliches, minus the whole being a needy bitch that was aching for cock all the time. He didn't like being weak and helpless and usually he covored it up by being double cheerful. Somehow that wouldn't work now. Lance needed a hug, someone had to embrace him right now and really tight. However, Shiro was the only person in the room and Lance couldn't possibly bother his friend, who had his own problems. So he told himself to suck it up.

"Can't get rid off habits I guess..", he laughed weakly and grabbed a paper towel before returning to his seat at the table. Shiro hadn't moved an inch, as if he hadn't noticed any of it. Lance watched the blood seep through the thin, white fabric. Little dots of crimson extending into a sea of red. With  
repulsion he thought of his own apartment and of having to leave Shiro's place to spend the night in his shabby bedroom. He'd much rather live in a flat similar to Shiro's, but he didn't have the budget. Currently he was looking for a job and Allura had even offered to help him a little with that, but hadn't given him a call just yet.

"You're bleeding..?", Shiro asked with a more confused than concerned voice.

"No biggie. Don't even need a plaster", Lance smiled and gestured to the plate full of food then ," You done yet?"

Shiro nodded, but didn't move to hand him the plate. Lance leaned over the table, almost knocking Shiro's cup of coffee over. He apologized and then went on to do the dishes. The alpha remained seated on his chair, staring at Lance's back. There was a question on Shiro's tongue, which just wouldn't leave his lips. The wound on Lance's finger itched as he poured water over the dirty dishes, stinging and then it turned numb. The water was hot, burning hot. But he needed it to keep himself grounded.

"Did you take your medicine over the week?", he asked, not turning to face the alpha.

"I..yes", Shiro mumbled, adding a grumbled noise at the end.

Lance turned off the faucet and went to dry the table wear. He turned the mugs upside down and set the plates leaning against the refrigerator. He could hear Shiro get up, but didn't expect the man to come around and almost hug him from behind. Almost, meaning a hand was slung halfway around his waist and the other lay on his shoulder as Shiro leaned in to sniff at his neck for the second time that day. Lance automatically stiffened, not sure how to react in such a situation. A stranger would be easy to deal with- a fist or a knee into the stomach or, if necessary to the crotch- but how was he supposed to handle a friend?

The question was: what did Shiro want? Was he asking for a hug or did he need physical contact respectively, some kind of reassurance. Did he want Lances' attention and had choosen this as the best method to get it? Lance assumed, that Shiro was searching for human contact. No one had visited him over the week and Lance bet Shiro hadn't left the house either. He was happy to grant that wish, still needy for a hug himself. Just not like this. He was just about to turn around as Shiro mouthed at his throat.

"Lance.…", he mumbled and nosed at the boys' ear," You smell good.. So good.."

"Haha..thanks?", Lance said and tried shoving the man away," You're acting really odd today. Do you need a hug, buddy?"

With a little effort Lance managed to turn around and face the alpha, bracing his hands against the  
kitchen counter. Shiro let out a noise of disappointment, a priceless noise considering the mans' muscular frame. The sound was similar to that of a child. Lance had heard his nephews and nieces make those calls when they were sad or were desperate to have something. So he couldn't help but chuckle at that. Shiro whined, pressing the omega against the counter. At first Lance laughed at the childish behaviour and let his arms sneak around the alpha's back to engulf him in an embrace. However, Shiro kept pushing harder, forcing Lance to bend his back and halfway lay on the edging.

"H-hey!!"

Shiro leaned in to nose at Lance's neck, rough and forceful. His hands were glued to the omega's hips, constraining him in place. Should he laugh it off? The alpha opened his mouth and let his teeth graze the skin of Lance's throat. The boy wondered how long he'd have to submit to the situation till Shiro was sated. He had decided to wait it out and endure his friends' strange behaviour. He had nothing to fear from Shiro, he told himself. And then the alpha began scent marking him. From there on everything headed south.

"Shiro, stop! Stop it!", Lance growled, not impressed with the action of hurting his privacy," For fucks sake! Get off me, you moron! That's enough!"

With a coarse shove to Shiro's chest Lance managed to get the alpha to back off. Both men breathed harshly and stared at each other. The tingling wouldn't stop. Furthermore, Lances' scent glands were throbbing. He didn't like the feeling and hadn't expected Shiro to offend him in such a way. You don't scent mark friend's or strangers. Only your mate or sometimes family members. It hurt to be insulted like that. And even the man's current state wasn't an excuse.

"Lance..I-", Shiro stuttered and Lance felt that he was clear headed for the first time that evening," Sorry.. I'm sorry I-"

The man stepped forward and immediately recoiled, as if stung by Lance's gaze. His scent turned bitter, even more so than the omega's. The odor was horrible and burned as Lance breathed it in. He tried to calm down, swallowing his anger and frustation, and took a deep breath. Shiro stared at the floor with shame, posture so unlike that of an alpha. With his shoulders drawn-in and the avoiding of eye contact Shiro could pass off as a beta at best. It awakened Lances' empathy on such an enormous level, that he himself was stunned by it.

"I.. I'll give you your medication and then I'll go home", he said and Shiro looked as if he genuinely wanted to protest that statement.

Lance looked at his mobile phone, noting it was already eight pm. Awkward silence apparently hadn't slowed time down. He cursed quietly, because his last bus always drove off at quarter to nine pm. And he hadn't cleaned Shiro's room yet, not even collected the clothes off the floor. Today was a friday and that meant tomorrow he had all the time to clean up Shiro's flat. However, his mother had always told him:, Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.' And he tended to live after that- after a lot she had told him- each and every day.

"Don't go..", Shiro mumbled weakly.

"I really have to. I'll come back tomorrow. No worries, big guy."

Gliding around the alpha, Lance went for the bathroom. Opening the only cabinet in the room, he took out a bottle of pills and popped the lid. He took three of the round, blue objects- the size of a pea- and went back to the dining room to place it in Shiro's hand. The man flinched at the contact. Not afraid, but startled. Lance tried flashing him a smile as he gave him a glass of water to flush them down. He then moved to pull over his jacket and once again adjusted his collar and sleeves. He pointed at the pills in Shiro's hand.

"Shiro", he said," You're supposed to swallow them."

The alpha nodded faintly and downed the water plus the pills. Lance gave a satisfied hum as Shiro finished. He cast a glance at the clock on his phone- a quarter past eight- and moved to hurry out of the appartment. The way to the bus stop was about fifteen minutes long. Lance would barely make it if he'd go right now. As his hand landed on the doorknob Shiro followed him.

"Lance…", he said and wanted to add something, but nothing came.

"I have no time for this", Lance answered a bit annoyed," I have to make the last bus."

Shiro looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I promise I'll be back tomorrow", Lance said and rushed out of the door and down the stairs of the building.

**********  
Lance walked down the streets to his own apartment, passing the shabby, rundown buildings of his neighborhood and their dubious inhabitants. His steps were quick and the noises echoed throughout each alleyway he passed. Lance just wanted to be home, curled up in his bed with his pillows and covers. As he finally reached his destination, a sigh of relief left him and disappeared into the night. With quick movements he opened the entrance door and hasted up the stairs, fumbling with his keys as he then finally entered his flat.

Without any attention he threw his back and jacket to the floor and made his way to the bathroom. Yeah, he was tired, but no excuse for skipping out on his skincare routine. Only after Lance had finished brushing his teeth and combing his hair- among several other things- did he move to the bedroom. His bed was still a mess, because he had left in a hurry this morning- a bad day from start to finish. Nonetheless, it looked inviting enough to Lance, who practically threw himself onto the heap of pillows and blankets. It took some time to position them and he wasn't quite satisfied with the end result, but it was fine for a goodnight sleep.

He turned off the lights and made himself comfortable inbetween his makeshift nest. Fatigue was welcoming him, but Lance coulnd't sleep yet. He stared at the wall, his thoughts chasing him through the whole day again. He shouldn't have overreacted. And he had forgotten to take a look at Shiros' arm. If the whole week had been as bad as it seemed, than Shiro had surely not taken good care of his hurt arm either. Lance had been careless and a really bad friend.

The lights from outside the window were projection little shadows along the floor of the room, dancing and flickering. They caught Lances' eyes, distracting him as his mind was occupied with worrying over tomorrow. And then the deafening sound of a gunshot pierced the silence, startling Lance, who fled under his covers. Right, habits. In this neighborhood gun noises were not uncommon. And yet, Lance hadn't gotten used to them. He burried himself deeper into his nest, in search of comfort, but finding none. Eyes pressed together and hands around his head, Lance waited for sleep to gift him final peace.

…

He had forgotten to go to the libary


End file.
